I write about science related to yoga and what I’ve learned through my own practice. My goal is to help you learn how to practically apply ancient techniques to enhance your life.
Do you remember to give yourself permission to have fun & play as an adult?
“My spiritual practice is my practice, but it doesn’t have to be so serious all of the time. It’s a time to actually get to have fun in my busy week, create joy and play as an adult, and to bond with my friends. Yoga is about looking inwards, and it’s also a practice of finding the ability to let go and become open-minded. Yoga is a place for self healing, connection, expanding consciousness, building compassion and overcoming fears, and also to find enjoyment in your life - right!?!” - Ashley
What are the most important connections & relationships in your life?
I have been thinking of this often lately, and this topic seems to come up in conversations more and more frequently, so I was inspired to share some of my stories…on loneliness, living as a foreigner, putting effort into building my connections, dating, friendships, yoga, meditation and more - do you resonate?
Building community through your yoga practice
What does your community look like these days? Do you have one? Or are you overrun by work and personal commitments and set your social life aside?
Do you ever feel like you just turn up to your yoga class and want to feel invisible because you don't know anyone and are feeling intimidated or shy?
Or do you just want to be left alone because of the demands of your daily life with work/family/personal life and want some space to yourself and not have to speak?
I find in London life happens so fast that I usually just want to be alone in my practice.
BUT….
The signs of burnout you may be missing…
Do you notice feeling:
Drained? Tired? Anxious? Easily overwhelmed? Emotionally fatigued?
→→→These are all symptoms of burnout. Mental and physical exhaustion due to prolonged stress and overwhelm.
But there’s more….what else may be associated with burnout you ask?
The Gunas: essential concepts to bring into your advancing yoga practice
One of my favourite parts of yoga philosophy is the Gunas. These are the forces of nature, or you can think of them like energies or qualities that nature and everything in nature posses.
Practicing with and observing the gunas as part of my 24/7 yoga practice has been a game changer since I started practicing yoga in 2010. If you are at a point in your yoga practice where you are starting to be curious about what exactly you are feeling during practice in class, and how to go deeper into your practice - the gunas are a wonderful place to start: sattva, rajas, tamas
Kleshas Part 2: Integrating yoga philosophy into day to day life and why yoga is political
When we practice yoga and weave yoga philosophy into our daily lives, we are waking up to what’s going on around us. We are becoming more empathetic and compassionate and our understanding of what’s going on not only internally becomes more apparent, but the inequalities and imbalances outside of ourselves also become more apparent.
Kleshas Part 1: The causes of suffering
If we want to progress and build as human beings, we have to really face these sources of suffering and try to accept what they are, work with them and then move away from them. If we ignore them then we are bound by them.
How to bring Yoga off the mat - The 8 Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga
How do you start to take your yoga practice off of your mat? Read up on yoga philosophy and create a 24/7 practice in self observation - click to read how to start and find out more!
Stress Less - 5 tips to reduce stress
Guest blog post by Ashtanga Yoga Teacher and Co-Founder of Yoga Mentor Academy - Lauren Munday
Have a read to find her 5 best ways to reduce stress!
9 ways to fit your yoga practice into a really busy schedule
Do you find that you are always planning to do your yoga practice and instead find yourself constantly putting it off, skipping it or procrastinating to do it because other things keep coming up, and we convince ourselves that we don’t have the time? This post is for YOU! Click to read more!
5 tips for setting intentions in your yoga practice - and the reasons why intention setting is super powerful & transformative
If you come to my classes you know that I always ask you to set intentions before your practice, and come back to them at the end (except in Ashtanga!!). That being said, this blog is also for the Ashtangis because we also need to have intentions.
Why? Because intention setting is powerful!!
For those of you who want to teach yoga: things I wish I’d known
For yoga teachers - a long read but well worth it! If only I had been given this advice prior to becoming a teacher - I would have been much better prepared!!
Nadi Shodhana / Alternate Nostril Breathing - use when you feel scattered
Breath work 101: There are a few styles of alternate nostril breathing, this one is from Ashtanga, as taught by Sharath Jois.
Why I started practicing yoga: I was coping with grief, debilitating anxiety & feeling lost and worthless
You will find the answers you are looking for within YOU, because they are already there. Yoga is a practice of looking WITHIN to cultivate clarity, wisdom, peace, healing and joy. We do this through a physical practice because that’s what we can directly see and experience, facilitating a deeper understanding of who we are.
How does sitting all day affect you? Do you have a job that requires you to spend hours and hours in front of a computer, at a desk?
Why is sitting so bad for you? There is a ton of evidence coming out now that sitting for prolonged periods of time is hazardous to your health. Prolonged sitting has been linked to: deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in your leg veins), cardiovascular disease, obesity, metabolic disorders, some types of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and early death. Most of these disorders are also linked to stress. The studies are mostly observational but there seems to be a a direct correlation.
Read on for the reasons WHY and WHAT you can try as an alternative if being at your desk all day is non-negotiable.
Sama Vritti - yogic breathing technique to reduce stress, anxiety & to aid with sleep
Use this breathing technique any time of day to help you when you feel anxious, stressed, uncentered, scattered or need help sleeping. It’s easy to do and helps immensely!
Top tips for dealing with anxiety and stress while we transition back into busy life.
Here are my top tips for managing stress and anxiety and establishing healthy routines and boundaries in your life. For coming out of lockdown, but applicable to any time!
Movement: Why it’s so important to get up and move throughout the day! Hint: it has to do with Fascia
Our bodies are meant to move. It’s important for our physiology and wellbeing of our mind and every single anatomical system in our body. We are designed to move and it brings us better health and more resilience.
Stress response and your Enteric nervous system - the ‘brain of the gut’ - how does this relate to yoga?
Managing stress helps our digestive system, immune response and lifts our mood. Yoga and mediation help to promote a state of reduced stress and increased relaxation.
